A Canadian couple who intended to rescue a dyed-pink hedgehog from being mistreated have ended up adopting him over fears other people would only want him for his unusual hue.

Jacqueline Law, 30, from Toronto, spotted an advert for a ‘rare pink albino hedgehog’ on a Facebook group and immediately decided to save him, knowing full well he must have been dyed pink by owners who were unaware of how to care for him.

“We found out that they had purchased him from a pet store and had dyed him using ‘poodle dye’ for amusement – colouring hedgehogs is never a good idea, especially with the chemicals that they had used with Floyd,” Ms Law told Buzzfeed.

“We never did meet the original owner as [they were] busy, and Floyd was given to me in a shoebox. … We really had to bite our tongues as we just wanted to get him out of there.”

After initially intending to care for him until they found him another home, Ms Law and her partner grew attached to their new pink pet, naming him Pink Floyd, and decided to keep him.

“We felt terrible about the rough life he had,” Ms Law continued.

“The pink has never faded and will likely be with him forever … [We] just didn’t trust that other people would want him for the wonderful hedgehog that he is, but for the novelty of his coloured quills.”

The pair, who also have another adopted rescue hedgehog and two dogs, told the website Floyd had settled in well to his new home and was a very friendly little chap.

Their pink pet makes regular appearances on Ms Law’s Instagram account, along with the couple’s other pets.

“I am hoping all this attention Floyd has been getting will encourage people to think twice and do plenty of research before getting any pet – whether it’s a dog, cat, snake, hamster, hedgehog, they are dependent on their humans for their wellbeing and are a commitment for life,” Ms Law added.